Massive Mackay drug bust

THE state's biggest cannabis haul in the past year, worth more than $82 million, has been seized over three days from a rural property at Mt Pelion just north of Mackay.

State Drug and Property Crime Group Acting Detective Superintendant Mark Slater said the property, at which the crop was discovered, was uninhabited.

"The owners in relation to that particular property are not involved with the production of this cannabis," Act Det Supt Slater said.

Seven officers from the State Drug Investigation Unit, assisted by local police, executed a search warrant on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week.

Two sites were located as being used for the production of more than 33,000 cannabis plants ranging from small seedlings to mature plants six to eight feet high, which had a street value in excess of $82 million.

"It's a very significant find," Act Det Supt Slater said.

"Given the quality of plants that have been located, from a distribution point of view it's put a dent in the supply market."

Act Det Supt Slater said it took between three to six months for the maturity phase to be reached.

"In terms of stage production that this crop was at, it's been over several months," he said.

At this stage no charges have been laid and Act Det Supt Slater said he was not in a position to comment further.

"Certainly there would be some distribution in the local area throughout Mackay and surrounding districts," he said, adding it could have gone to distribution point beyond that area.

Operation Juliet Unearth began in August this year and has focused on cannabis production in the Mt Pelion area.

Act Det Supt Slater said officers receive information and intelligence from a range of different sources from which they build on.

"Those investigations have led us to this particular property earlier this week," Act Det Supt Slater said.

Anyone with information which could assist police with their investigations should contact Crime Stoppers anonymously via 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.com.au 24hrs a day.